How To

4 Reasons To Integrate mHealth Apps For Coordinated Care with EMRs

February 2, 2016 | Uniphy Health

One of the biggest barriers to delivering quality care improvements is that clinicians and physicians struggle to access patient data stored in EMR systems. The integration of mHealth apps with pre-existing EMRs has been shown to accelerate patient-centric care coordination. These mHealth apps centralize patient data and information to help physicians and clinicians better manage their workflow. Here are four ways that EMR integrated mHealth apps benefit patients and clinicians:

Delays in patient care are minimized

By using mHealth apps that integrate EMR systems, patient care teams and physicians can receive real-time clinical data. Clinical care teams can create and edit notes on patients, removing the burden placed on physicians to input data into EMR systems. This enables them to better coordinate care plans, discharge or admission decisions. As a result, physicians spend more time optimizing care and making decisions for patients. Furthermore, clinicians and physicians are able to keep primary care physicians in the loop when recording notes in their EMR-integrated mHealth app.

Improves patient satisfaction

Patient satisfaction is heavily influenced by how efficiently physicians and care teams interact with patients. Physicians with EMR-integrated mHealth apps are able to access patient data at the point of care without diverting attention to computer screens. Patients’ waiting, observational and discharge times have been shown to improve when physicians can access and communicate patient information more effectively. For instance, a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that patients were 60% less likely to rate medical encounters with high computer use as “excellent”. Overall, patients are better satisfied when care coordination is less interruptive and more effective.

Patient lab results become more accessible

When lab results, E.K.G ratings, and other clinical data are transmitted directly to the doctor’s smartphone, clinicians are able to engage in real-time decision making. Physicians should be able to reference critical lab values when documenting their consultations. Physicians and clinicians should also be able to transfer and receive lab results through secure texting, photo or video messaging. This enables physicians to more quickly respond to abnormal test results, communicate with their care team and make clinical decisions.

EMR System alerts become more accessible

EMR alerts communicate discharge or speciality commands on a case to case basis. Physicians who use EMR-integrated mHealth apps are made aware of patient-related incidents more immediately when automated alerts are delivered from the EMR system. As a result, physicians’ ability to identify abnormalities with patients and mandate care can improve.

———-

Care coordination and communication improves when patient data can be accessed and acted on in real-time. Hospitals that invest in EMR-integrated mHealth apps can improve quality of care for patients by minimizing communication delays among clinicians and physicians. In addition, hospitals can also generate savings due to reductions in preventable readmissions.